Products that include images are a popular keepsake or gift for many people. Such products typically include a picture taken by an individual that is inserted into a product intended to enhance the product, the presentation of the image, or to provide storage for the image. Examples of such products include picture albums, posters, picture calendars, picture mugs, picture ornaments, picture mouse pads, and picture post cards.
Images can also be combined with other images, for example templates including background images and one or more image template openings into which an individual's image can be inserted, either mechanically or electronically with a computer, to form a combined image that displays the individual's image in a pleasing or preferred manner. These image products can be provided in hard-copy form, for example as a printed photo-book, or in electronic form presented by a computer, for example in an on-line album. Imaging products can also include multi-media products, especially when in electronic form, that, for example, can include still images, image groups, image sequences, motion image sequences or audio tracks.
Designing multi-image and multi-media products can be a daunting challenge for users, particularly when the products include personal images. Software tools that execute on computers can assist users in designing customized multi-image products. Such software products can execute, for example, on home computers. Alternatively, on-line design and printing services accessible through an internet browser interface can assist users in designing and printing a multi-image product.
For prior-art products using template designs, for example as employed in commercial on-line image product fulfillment and illustrated in prior-art FIG. 1 for a card, users select digital images to be combined with templates 10. The selected digital images are dragged into a template opening 12 in a graphic user interface. If one of the selected digital images is too small or has a resolution that is too low for the desired template opening, a warning message is provided. If one of the selected digital images is too large for the template opening, the selected digital image is centered in the template opening and automatically cropped. Users can change the cropping to suit their own desires as illustrated in prior-art FIG. 9. The cropped digital image then becomes the desired digital image for compositing into the template location. However, customers desire alternative options that provide a greater degree of flexibility and an improved aesthetic appearance.
There is a need therefore, for an improved method for combining user images with templates within an image product.